She has a reputation as a wild child, but Miley Cyrus seems pretty controlled by her handlers in a recent interview about her current tour, which comes to Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on Monday.

(Cyrus on Tuesday and Wednesday canceled her shows in Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo., after being hospitalized for a “severe allergic reaction to antibiotics.” As of press time, her Philadelphia show was still on.)

Not only is the interview conducted via a telephone conference, but reporters aren’t really allowed to ask direct questions. The questions were submitted to a publicist, who chose which ones Cyrus would be asked.

During the teleconference, no information was provided as to where the questions came from, and they sound so much like questions a 12-year-old fan might ask — for example, “What do you do when you have free time on tour?” and “Any specific decorations or snacks or anything on the tour bus?” — that there’s doubt that the questions are even from reporters.

There’s not a single question about her twerking against Robin Thicke on the MTV Video Music Awards in August or her rumored prodigious pot usage.

Even so, some of Cyrus’ true self seems to come through during the interview.

Here’s a transcript of the call:

MILEY CYRUS: “Yo yo yo, what’s up?”

PUBLICIST: “The questions are coming in fast and furious. We’re going to try to get to all of them, but I think that would be impossible, given the long list of questions we have. We’re just going to start knocking them out. Miley, I’m going to start reading them off to you.” [She just gives first names of “journalists”]

“Great.”

What was your goal when it came to creating this tour?

“Um, you know, for me I think it was, I make my albums to be able to travel and be able to go on the road. That’s really what I kind of love to do more than anything. And I think the best part is I haven’t really gotten to go out with this album yet and I haven’t seen my fans kind of sing along to my songs. So I just want to make it something that is really fun. And like everything I do, I don’t want anything about it to be unoriginal or seem fake in any way. So the whole thing has really got a good energy about it.

“And my goal was really to keep it really fun. And for me, I think the best thing for an artist is seeing people sing along to your songs and also to have people participating in your show. And sometimes that’s hard. There’s just people in the front row with their cell phones in front of the face, not really getting involved. And this show is a really hard show to not want to get up and be involved and put your phone down and actually dance and be a part of the show a little bit. So it’s very interactive for my fans. That’s really what I wanted more than anything.

“And also, just for people that are fans of what I do, for them to go there and … I’m not a person, I don’t have a hard time kind of making fun of myself. So the whole thing is kind of making, kind of, the way people perceive me, doing that even more and making kind of caricature out of myself. And it’s been really fund to do that.

“We’re definitely keeping it fun, and that’s what I think I’m kind of representing more than anything in the last year, has been fun and carefree, and that’s really what the show represents.”

Journalists, some of your questions are a little bit redundant to some of the other questions, but you may have a second part to your question …

“And I talk a lot. I talk a lot. I can answer like 10 f--king questions in one.”

[Laughs] Exactly, and forgive me. I’m not trying to edit your questions at all in any way, journalists. I’m just giving the second portion if she’s already answered the first portion of your question. So … what can you tell us about your stage design?

“Um, that’s something that I’ve actually had to fight for a little bit, because with this show, the most important thing to me was making a show that people remember. I remember everything I did last year – 2013 was such a good year for me; I really did things people could remember. And that’s what I want to do with this show. So I think visually, that’s really important. And I had to fight a little bit, because it isn’t the easiest thing to travel with, the stage that we’re using. And some of the cities, it’s actually too large to fit in, so I have to kind of adjust to each city. But I think that’s good because each city is going to be the biggest that it can be, and the best that their arena will really allow us to have.

“And so everything will always feel big in the content that we have. We’ve got some amazing artists working on our content, and our screen is designed – our stage is designed a lot around our screens that we’re using and the technology that we’re using that’s really new. I mean, some things – as an artist I get a little nervous, ‘cause this technology is so new, is it actually going to always work? ‘Cause I want my stage, no matter where I am, I want every show to be perfect. And so right now, we’re just really perfecting that.

“But some of the stuff we’re doing is so dope. I mean, some of the graphing we’re doing, and 3-D images and everything that we’re using. But the stage has to be designed kind of specifically for this technology to work. So it’s a lot for me to get used to. As an artist, you’ve got to kind of remember different places to be and go, and I’m not someone who’s very choreographed, obviously. So it’s kind of … we’ve got to kind of adjust with this technology.

“But it’s going to make it so sweet. I just know everyone’s gonna dig it. It’s going to be really cool.”

Excellent. What do you hope the fan experience will be on this tour?

“I’m a little bit of, like, a hoarder, and so hope my fans kind of become a hoarder also. I’m giving a lot of junk away. This is, like, kind of my mom’s worst nightmare, ‘cause I used to always hoard things. ‘Cause when I go to a concert, I want a million things. ‘Cause when you go to a concert, if even confetti comes down from the sky, everyone – all the kids – want to keep the confetti. But I want to give them real things to, like, collect, and real collectors pieces.

“I don’t want to give any of my surprises away, ‘cause my tour has been kept such a secret, and nothing in my life is ever secret, so I don’t want to give too much away. But everything I want to give my fans. I want to continue to, like, just do things that are really different, but have things that they want to take home and, like, collect.

“And also, my fans, they’re all artists, so I want to encourage them to give them inspiration with this tour. I’m very inspired by some of the fan art that I get, you know, so I just want to kind of go off that. But mostly to give my fans a lot of junk. It’s going to be really fun. There’s going to be a lot of crap.”

Got it. What animals will make an appearance on your tour?

“Our whole tour is literally based on animals. That’s very funny that you guys asked that. ‘Cause we keep joking – we’re like, ‘Why does everything have to be based on animals?” ‘Cause I love animals. But anyways, so my dog – I don’t know if my dog Floyd knows how famous I’m making him – but I actually, I have my dog Floyd really involved in the show. And we’ve got lots of animals everywhere – not only on the stage, but a lot of the content that we’re having made. We’ve had John K. [Kricfalusi, creator of “The Ren & Stimpy Show”] do a lot of the cartoons for the tour, and all the illustrations – which he does Ren and Stimpy. So there’s going to be a lot of cool, imaginative – imagination animals that he’s kind of made up on his own. Not all real animals.”

Got it. Can you tell us about … We know that you’re the new face of Marc Jacobs [designer clothes, bags, shoes, fragrances and accessories]. Will there be some Marc Jacobs design in the tour costuming?

“Yeah, for sure. I’m having so different stories within my tour that each designer had kind of been given a story so they can kind of base the designs off that. And so, yeah, I’m working with Marc Jacobs and we’ve had some awesome pieces from so many designers. I hate giving too much stuff away, ‘cause I feel like clothes, for me, or lack thereof say a lot, and [designers] The Blonds have been really amazing. Jeremy Scott has been really insane. We’ve been inspired a lot by Bob Mackie, and I actually have some of his archive pieces, which are really sick. Like, I don’t see many girls getting to wear these, so I’m really excited about that. Bob Mackie’s one of my biggest kind of inspirations, so I’m using a lot of archive pieces, too.”

I love your acoustic material, especially your cover of Bob Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome [When You Go].” Any chance that material might make it into the playlist on the tour?

“Yeah, I made it really important that we have a big acoustic section, so basically I have … My set’s about 90 minutes, so my acoustic set that I’m doing can go on for as long as I want. So it really kind of depends on the city and how involved and how good the audience is. If I can tell that they’re into it and they’re one of those cities that love acoustic and kind of taking everything away and more stripped down, then I can literally play as many songs as I want. I have it where I can literally be on the acoustic stage as long as I want to be.

“So I’m definitely doing an acoustic set and making some of my songs acoustic, but then also doing a ton of covers and that can kind of go on for as long as the fans are feeling it.”

Wonderful. Concert tickets are not exactly affordable these days, and when people spend their hard-earned money on tickets, they want to know they’re going to get a good show. What would you say to the fans they’re going to get in this show if they spend their money.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry. All my dancers just rushed up [laughs]. What did you say?”

Concert tickets are not inexpensive these days. What would you say to fans who spend their hard-earned money on a ticket to your show?

“Well, I know that already. Here’s my whole thing: My thing has never been about me making money, and I’m putting everything that I can into this tour. And so, for me, I just want it to be an event that is worth going to see, and I understand when my fans are you, especially. And so, especially if they’re younger fans, if their parents are trying to buy them the tickets, they are working hard to get them to come to the show, so I put as much into the show as I possibly can. To the point where, almost, people are faulting me – they’re like, ‘This is why you go on tour, this is your job.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, but for me, I did this when I was a kid. I already made the money I need to make. This is about now putting that money into something that I care about, which is my tour.

“So for me, that has never – my priority has been about my fans and making sure they get the best show that they possibly can, and it’s not about me, it’s really for my fans. This entire show – how I talked about giving away all the stuff that I’m going to have falling out of the sky. Like, most people would want to sell that that their merch stand and I don’t care, I’ll just give the stuff to my fans who I know are spending money to come to my show.”

Wonderful. Will you repeat any elements from your popular TV appearances? Or do you prefer to not repeat yourself?

“Um, that’s why I called it the Bangerz Tour, ‘cause I didn’t want there to be too much expectation for me to do anything, really, that I wasn’t feeling. Really, the whole tour is from my new album, ‘Bangerz,’ and there are a few songs that are from my last album. But really it’s just a lot of my ‘Bangerz’ music and a lot of covers and, then, of course, doing some of the hits, too.”

Great. When you have free time while on tour, what are some of the things you like to do in tour cities.

“Um, it’s pretty much, like, we get stuck on these 30-hour drives. And we get there every day on the day of show. But if I have any time, there’s a few cities that I definitely I love to go out. Especially, like, when I’m driving, I love to, if I can, I love to be able to bring my – I ride motorbike sometimes. So I like to bring them on my bus when I can. When I’m at my place in Nashville I love to go behind the buses and ride my bikes.

“It’s weird, because when you’re on tour, somehow I get to feel like I’m a little bit normal – even thought I’m not. When I get into the big cities, everyone knows I’m going to be there. But once I’m just kind of traveling around in that open road, I definitely like to go out and be in some of the cities. ‘Cause even some of the content is built around some of the cities that we’re going to, ‘cause I feel like it’s important.

“I remember one time, my first concert I ever went to go see – Phil Collins, and he had on a shirt that said ‘Nashville’ on it, and I was so stoked ‘cause I’m from Nashville. So when he was in Nashville wearing that shirt, it made me feel like – I loved it so much. So I always remembered that, and I really want to make it important that each place kind of knows how stoked I am to be there.

“But there’s definitely some places I go to play I know are extra loud and extra awesome audiences. I was just on this Jingle Ball tour, so I know that some of the places where I went, they are insane.”

Wonderful. If you’re comfortable with it, describe your tour bus. What’s inside – any specific decorations or snacks or anything that goes on on the tour bus.

“Well, my tour bus – I haven’t gotten to be, like, on a bus in awhile. Last time I went, I think we were traveling around, like, Christmastime, and I had decked it all out. I have like a hot pink Christmas tree and all that shit. But this time, I’m bringing a few friends on the road ‘cause I got kind of, like, lonely when I was there last time. So all of us, each of us, are going to design our bunks. But me and our best friend, we call each other ‘Doll,’ so we want to make our bus look like a dollhouse of some sort – like a Barbie dollhouse. So I have a feeling it’s going to make, like, every dude want to puke. It’s going to be super pink – pinked out. And I definitely am, when I’m working out when I’m on tour, I actually eat like a lot of junk food so I don’t just wither away, so I get to eat, like, lots of cookies and stuff.

“But right now I’m on this kelp kick ‘cause I’ve got to get ready for tour. But then, once I get on the bus, those 30-hour drives, I definitely eat some cookies.”

Great. And what’s your pre-show routine?

“You know, some times I’m actually more intense than usual. Like, if I get nervous, I need to lock it down, like, three hours before I go on the stage ‘cause I get nervous. I need just to get my mind right and rest my voice and everything, so it kind of all depends.

“Sometimes I’m having fun with the dancers and, like, were all just like partying backstage and then go onstage. But then sometimes I need, like, a few hours just to get my mind right. So it kind of depends how long I’ve been traveling and everything. But I definitely have to take my time to warm up and I definitely have, like, a clear space in my room before I go out. A lot of this shit is like mental to get yourself through it because it’s, like, a long show. And it’s really kind of like a workout. When I’m doing these show, like at the end of it I’m so drained. But then you have to do it again, you have to do it every night. You’ve got to build up the stamina.

“So it kind of, it’s really intense, being out on the road.”

Wonderful. And do we get to see the Kitty in Space again on the tour?

“Oh, we’re definitely bringing in some kitties. At one point, we’re kind of doing the throwback, which is the parts that have been some of my biggest moments and some things like that. So we’re definitely doing some of that. It’s all hard doing these questions ‘cause I don’t want to give too much away. I want everything to be a surprise.”

In that vein, are there any cool props or stunts that your could preview us with?

“Um, I’m really excited about, one, our show is completely live and so it’s hard to do as many stunts as, like, I got to do on other tours, ‘cause I’m really focused on people walking around and … being as excited about me as a singer than in me as kind of what I did to shock people. I want people to walk out and be like, ‘OK, she did some things that were crazy, but at the end of the day it was really about her voice.’ So I really want to stay focused on that, so there’s not too much going around.

“But I definitely have some crazy props to enter and exit on. That’s all I really want to tell you. [Laughs] But that’s probably my most exciting part. So I’m really excited for the intro, and exiting is pretty amazing, too. I’m excited for both those parts.”

Do you expect any surprise guests on this tour?

“For sure. I’m traveling around to so many different places, I mean, Atlanta, I’m in Nashville, I got to Vegas, New York. So I definitely have friends that worked on my album in all these different cities. So any time we’re in the same city, I’m definitely going to drag everybody on the show if I can get Future and Juicy to come out for a few shows, or whatever.”

You mentioned your collaboration with Ren and Stimpy’s John K. Can you elaborate on that?

“Um, it’s actually insane. I went out the other night with John to kind of talk about the tour, and I’ve never been so kind of star struck on anyone. ‘Cause I was sitting there at dinner with him and he just sat there and drew – I’m not kidding, for two hours, on pages and pages and pages, every single angle of me when we went and had dinner. And I’ve never been so excited, ‘cause I’m a big fan on Ren and Stimpy.

“And so really, a lot of our show has been based around content and what we’re building for all the screens. Because I want it to be kind of different and I feel like what is going to be good is people can watch me, but also what’s also going on is it’s so kind of designed to go with what I’m wearing. Everything had been, is going to be, cohesive. So [laughs] I’m trying not to say too much, but with what we’ve got on the screens, with all of John K’s illustrations, put together by all my dancers and me and also just kind of coordinating with that. So the art is driving a lot of the tour, actually. It’s kind of art by John K. and Ben Jones. We’ve got some amazing artists on this tour.”

Great. When were you first introduced to Skye Ferreria and Icona Pop and why are you excited to be on tour with them?

“Um, Skye’s been on of my friends for a while. I think it’s hard for a lot of girls who are in their 20s to be friends with other girls; there’s a lot competition. And what I love about her is I’ve never felt that way. I was just a big fan of her and she was a big fan of me, and that’s kind of … when girls can be like that, I always appreciate that ‘cause I’m, not really catty like that. I’m very comfortable in myself. So I try to surround myself with good girls that are really comfortable.

“An Icona, you know, they had a really good year, and I think they’re a band people can look out to see rising this year, even more. So I’m excited to kind of take them out on the road with me. I like finding girls and people don’t like to believe that I’m a feminist, but I think I am. So I like to keep women working and women more in the entertainment industry, and have, definitely, more women around me if I can.”

Great. People might not have expected you to work Future. Can you talk a little about how you know each other.

“Um, Future and I know each other through Mike Will. You know, they grew up together in Atlanta. And me and Mike are like family, so anyone that’s really close to Mike, I’ve gotten really close to. And Future is someone that wanted to work with me because of my voice. This is before I really had kind of starting working as much as I’m working now. I mean, this was … really, he just wanted to work with me because -- not because of what he knew. He didn’t know too much. He knew of me, but it’s not like he was a fan of me before he really started getting in the studio with me and he just became a fan of me and my music.

“And so that’s why I just really wanted to work with him. I just want to surround myself with people who, what they care about is , you know, me as like a real artist. And so yeah, him and I are really close, and I’m super stoked for him and everything. His life is … I love working with people who are new. I mean, the same thing with Icona Pop. And they are a little more, like, mainstream. But I just like working with people that … and he’s had, like, platinum records. But for me, it’s kind of introducing him to kind of my group of fans that wouldn’t necessarily be Future fans, you know? And he does the same in his world..”

We live in an age where almost everything at concerts is planned to the Nth degree. How important is spontaneity to you when you perform, and what will you do to make each concert on your tour a little bit different from the one before it?

“I’m obviously not someone that’s … like I said before, I’m not super choreographed or I don’t have someone telling me ‘Do this, do that’ kind of thing. So every show is going to be different, because I don’t really work like most artists. And our set, our show, has been designed a lot around how I am, and how I don’t really …. Like I don’t really rehearse. I mean, I’m here during sound check, but I don’t rehearse too much when it comes to what we’re going to do on stage, ‘cause I think that takes, kind of, all the fun out of it. I just want every night to feel like a different show, and it never has to worry about anything getting exhausted or something just getting, kind of being the same every night.

“Really, we built the show around me and my A.D.D. And Diane Martel, who’s creative directing it, she didn’t want me to be bored by the tenth show, me being out there and not wanting to do the same show every night.”

What tours have you seen in the past that gave you inspiration for the Bangerz tour?

“ Um, well, obviously, I’ve watched a lot of tours now, trying to get inspired for mine and also just knowing how people do things, ‘cause I wanted to have everything I do be different. Um, you know, obviously I’ve watched a lot of the Madonna tours – mostly not only because I’m a fan of Madonna’s, but of how my tour’s built a lot around content, and I think she has really – you know, she has a really beautiful stage and the way that it looked, and everything that was played on all the screens was done beautifully and by really dope artists or photographers.

“So being inspired by that and so I definitely watched a lot of Madonna tours.”

Great. What’s the craziest thing on your tour rider?

“Literally, I’m the most chill when it comes to riders. I really don’t have anything crazy on there. When I was younger, my tour rider used to be, like, Guitar Hero and Frosted Flakes. And now I don’t really want the Frosted Flakes. I want the Guitar Hero. So pretty much Guitar Hero.”

Great. I think we only have time to wrap up now, Miley. If you have anything to tell the journalists that we haven’t covered here about the tour and how excited you are to go out on the road.

“Um, you know, mostly I just want to say I know, like, you kind of touched on it earlier, I know these kids, they’re so … I have these kids on my Twitter every single day, counting down like every hour, every second as the tour happens. So really I’m just thankful for the people that have decided to come to my show. ‘Cause I know sometimes people, like, they like to make me seem like I’m one thing and all I know how to do is, like, shock people, and that kind of my only purpose in this industry.

“And that isn’t what it is, my show. I think what girls see, kind of, through, is that there’s an energy and there’s a feminist energy there. And if people feel like taking a chance and coming and seeing a show that’s a little different and I really appreciate that. And I’m excited for the people, if they want to express their, kind of, like, freedom and that they can relate to my music because of that.

“And I think that a lot of my fans, I think that’s why we’re kind of, so close. Because when they look at me and feel like they can be, like, really, like truly who they are. And I hope my fans are kind of inspired by my show to take that to the next level. ‘cause everything that I do, it’s not to be different to prove a point, but because you are different. And that’s it. And being proud of that and owning that and not going out there to be what other people consider sexy or what other people consider right or wrong.

“Whatever it is, it’s just being true to who you are, and what makes you feel good and feel right. And I think there’s something good for girls, especially, it the come see this show. And I’ve made that really important in what we’re building – me and Diane together – is just a show that builds up every type of humane being on this planet.

“And so we put a lot of love into it so I just believe that it has a good energy about it. Whatever we do, we put a lot of positive energy into. I can’t imagine there being a negative outcome. So I think it’s just going to be a really good show and be a really powerful time in my life. And I would love for people to come see that.

“You know, it’s just another, kind of, change and transition in my world. So I’d love for people to see that.”

JOHN J. MOSER has been around long enough to have seen the original Ramones in a small club in New Jersey, U2 from the fourth row of a theater and Bob Dylan's born-again tours. But he also has the number for All-American Rejects' Nick Wheeler on his cell phone, wrote the first story ever done on Jack's Mannequin and hung out in Wiz Khalifa's hotel room.

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

JODI DUCKETT: As The Morning Call's assistant features editor responsible for entertainment, she spends a lot of time surveying the music landscape and sizing up the Valley's festivals and club scene. She's no expert, but enjoys it all — especially artists who resonated in her younger years, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Tracy Chapman, Santana and Joni Mitchell.

KATHY LAUER-WILLIAMS enjoys all types of music, from roots rock and folk to classical and opera. Music has been a constant backdrop to her life since she first sat on the steps listening to her mother’s Broadway LPs when she was 2. Since becoming a mother herself, she has become well-versed on the growing genre of kindie rock and, with her son in tow, can boast she has seen a majority of the current kid’s performers from Dan Zanes to They Might Be Giants.

STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS: A Jersey native raised in Northeast PA, she was reared in a house littered with 8-tracks, 45s and cassette tapes of The Beatles, Elvis, Meatloaf and Billy Joel. She also grew up on the sounds of Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw and can be found traversing the countryside in search of the sounds of a steel guitar. A fan of today's 'new country,' she digs mainstream/country-pop crossovers like Lady Antebellum and Sugarland and other artists that illustrate the genre's diversity.